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April 7, 2006
Austria: European Islamic Conference Begins
Today, in Vienna, a three day conference began, according to AKI, attended by 150 imams and Muslim leaders from at least 40 countries. The conference is intended to discuss job creation and the role of women, and also issues of containing extremism and youth anger.
The Second Conference of European Imams will also have politicians present, including Heinz Fischer, president of Austria, Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president and Benita Ferrero Waldner, the external relations commissioner for the EU, and Beate Winkler, the European Union's racism and xenophobia observatory chief.
Associated Press, via the Washington Post describes the issues discussed on the first day. Anas Schakfeh, who is president of the Islamic Authority in Austria, opened the conference, talking of the need to develop of clear identity for European Islam, but keeps to its traditions but also embraces Western values.
Schakfeh (pictured) spoke of the need for Muslim leaders to challenge the separation and isolation of European Muslims, and that leaders should aim for more social and political integration.
"The Muslims of Europe want to be an active and central part of the societies they live in. They don't want to be build a separate and isolated society," Schakfeh said.
Mouddar Khouja, one of the organisers said: "Muslims can integrate and participate, which is our goal, or remain on the fringes. This is where the danger lies. We remain Muslim, but our point of reference must be Europe. This is our home."
There are an estimated 33 million Muslims in Europe as a whole, with 15 million living within the 25 nations of the European Union. In Austria, there are 400,000 Muslims, 4% of the population. Austria was the nation with strongest opposition to Turkey, a secular Muslim nation, joining the EU.
The Austrian foreign minister, Ursula Plassnik said: "Modern life comes to us without any instructions. We must not give in to fundamentalism, radicalism and fatalism. We must promote the voices of moderation."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at April 7, 2006 6:44 PM
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